Hey All, I'm in the process of replacing the oil pan ( stripped drain bolt ) on my 2003 800 VFR. Can I slide the oil pan sideways or do I need to drop the entire exhaust system ? If so how do I get the fasteners for the rear cylinders ? Is there anything else I should know before start ? Thanks, Will
Yes, you'll need to remove the headers. The oil pump pickup protrudes below the block near the bottom of the pan. The sealing surface of the pan needs to come down roughly the depth of the pan. You won't get it with the headers in place. You might - might, get it by loosening the nuts on the rear cylinder attachments and completely remove them from the front 2 cylinders, dropping the headers at the front. I've never seen anyone post that they did it that way - it might not create enough clearance. The tough part of header removal is the heat shield near the right side peg and separating the rear connecting pipes from the main headers. Lots of penetrating lube on the pipes' joints can help. They have to be lined up straight as if in a bind they won't want to separate. If you don't remove them completely, you may not (probably won't) get a re-seal against the head without new crush washers. An extra set of hands will be helpful on re-installing them. YMMV
Thanks Cogswell, I kinda mostly knew the answer when I looked at the clearance and figured in the oil pump pickup but if there was an outside chance ! Oh well gotta look at like a new adventure. Thanks again for your insight, Will
